Visualizing Segregation in the United States

The Washington Post has created a series of data visualizations demonstrating that the United States is still largely segregated by race, despite the fact that it is becoming increasingly diverse. The newspaper uses data from the U.S. Census to create maps illustrating where different races live and uses color shadings to highlight the diversity of an area. Users can observe the racial makeup and distribution of individual cities, such as Houston, which has rapidly integrated, and Chicago, which still suffers from legacy segregation.

Michael McLaughlin is a research assistant at the Center for Data Innovation. He previously worked at Oracle and held internships at USA TODAY and in local government. Prior to joining the Center for Data Innovation, Michael graduated from Wake Forest University, where he majored in Communication with Minors in Politics and International Affairs and Journalism. He is currently pursuing his Master’s in Communication at Stanford University, specializing in Data Journalism.